大象传媒

This story begins on a Saturday in October 1940. My father was a Policeman and he went on duty at 2pm that afternoon. Soon after he had left the siren went off and over came the German planes. Mum got us all into the shelter in the back garden, there was 9 of us. The planes dropped incendary bombs on the docks setting fire to all the warehouses for miles. The noise and the smell was horrible as rubber, wood, tea, sugar and anything you could think of started to burn. In fact, the molten rubber was running down the street. At about 5pm the "All Clear" went and we came up from the shelter. We had some respite for a couple of hours before the German bombers returned and bombed us for the rest of the night. We learned to tell the difference between the bombers and the lighter planes that dropped the incendaries. When we came in from the shelter in the morning the house was just a shell as all the ceilings, walls and windows had been blown out and Father still hadn't come home from work as he was on duty at the Docks and couldn't leave until the raid was over. We thought that he had been killed and he thought the same about us. He looked just like a chimney sweep as his face was black. I remember him crying with relief at seeing us and this left white streaks down his cheeks.He then decided that it was too dangerous for us in London and sent my Mother and us to live with his brother and family in Warwick. We actually arrived in Warwick before the telegram. So what a shock it must have been for my Uncle and his family to suddenly have 5 children and 2 adults to look after. But neighbours and friends rallied around and helped with beds and bedding and clothes etc.,I had been a tailoress in London's Saville Row and I had to go to the Labour Exchange to get a job. They asked me if I could work a machine and I said 'Yes' and I took it for granted that it was a sewing machine. Imagine my suprise when the sent me to the Lockheed operating a drilling machine making brake cylinders. I didn't like this work and got transferred to another shop, still using a drilling machine, but working on aircraft parts. Within a year I married the setter on the line, but as we were put on different shifts I decided to try for another job and was successful in getting work at Warwick Aviation at the Saltisford in Warwick. I remained there until the end of the war and have lived here ever since.

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